Posts Tagged ‘Passover’

These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their “appointed times”.Leviticus 23:4

He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man, and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.” Matthew 26:18

In Exodus 12:1-28 the children of Israeland the strangers dwelling with Israel…are given instructions concerning the feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread.They are told to choose a lamb on the tenth day of the month called Nissan.They must keep this lamb for four days and make sure that it is without blemish.Also on the first day, they are to clean all leaven out of their houses…making sure they eat nothing that could contain leaven for the next seven days. On the fourteenth day of Nissan they are to kill the Passover lamb, taking some of the blood and applying it to their doorposts.They are instructed how to eat the flesh, with a warning not to break any of the lamb’s bones. And they are told in verse 14 that “this day shall be to you a memorial and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations.”

In Matthew chapter 21 we read of Yeshua’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem.As He makes His way into the city, the multitudes wave palm branches as they cry out “Hosanna” which means “save us”.In John chapter 1:29 John the baptizer had declared “Behold! The lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”Our Master’s very name Yeshua means “Salvation” in Hebrew. It would seem that now, four days before Passover, on the very day God had instructed His children to choose a Passover Lamb…the people were making their choice… Yeshua…of Nazareth would be their Passover Lamb!

Next in the Scriptures we see Yeshua going into the Temple and driving out all the money changers while declaring “It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer but you have made it a den of thieves.”As according to Torah, the people were busy cleaning their houses of leaven (representing sin) in anticipation of Passover. It turns out the Master was cleansing His Father’s house as well. Then for the next few days, we see Him questioned by the chief priests and elders…the Pharisees and the Sadducees until finally, in Matthew 22:46 we hear “And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.”In Luke 23:14-15 Pilate declares “having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man…neither did Herod…nothing deserving of death has been done by Him”.

Yeshua, the chosen Passover Lamb had passed the examination and was found to be without spot or blemish! As we know, Messiah would be crucified as that perfect Passover sacrifice. At the very time the lambs were being slaughtered in the Temple, being skinned and hung on wooden poles…so too our Messiah hung on the wooden cross and breathed His last at the very hour of the Passover sacrifices. While it was common to break the legs of the one being crucified to bring death…Yeshua was far from common. He was the Lamb of God chosen before the foundation of the world… (1Peter 1:18-20) chosen, for this “appointed time.”No one killed Jesus…He willingly gave Himself up for us. Without a bone broken, He cried out “It is finished”. (John 19:30-36) His Appointed Time” had come. Praise the Lord for His willing sacrifice!